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Monday, 28 December 2015

Miss Anne Thorpe is a wastrel and happens to be the latest limited miss model released last Gencon by Wyrd Games. This time she is dual faction and can be hired in both Guild and Ten Thunders (crews led by McCabe).

In the world of the game Wastrels are children of rich families and the all have a vicious side to them. Getting to Malifaux allowed them to explore it... with impunity. Wastrels are on the cheap side and they function mainly as decent scheme runners and support minions. They have some nice offensive and defensive tricks but you can't really expect much from a 4ss model.

The miniature itself is very nice and has a few assembly options with some extra arms and heads. It's probably the first mini of this type that looks like an actual miss. The designers have certainly put extra effort into making sure she looks like one. As far as painting is concerned, I tried to more or less stick to the artwork, which wasn't easy as the colors used by Wyrd artists are typically dark.

While painting this mini and several others I've shown on the blog recently, I was listening to the Empire trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts. I read some of Feist's novels (the Riftwar and the Serpentwar saga along with some stand-alone titles). I thought it might be interesting to return to this universe after a long break and decided to start with the Empire Trilogy as this seemed like the most reasonable choice (at least as far as chronology is concerned). The series follows the story of Mara, a young noble who has to stop her temple education as her father and elder brother are killed in a political intrigue. She is forced to enter the Game of the Council, a relentless and cruel struggle for power in the empire of the Tsuranuanni.

The books read quite well even though at times it seems like they could be a bit more complicated as it seems like some of the problems faced by the protagonist are too often "miraculously" solved. Despite that, it wasi nteresting to see a different perspective on the Riftwar and learn more about Tsuranuanni society and its strict honor code. I thought the parts about Black Robes were the most interesting. This elite assembly of magicians that functions outside law was already presented in previous novels by Feist but here more was revealed about their hidden agenda.

I've also read a very nice book I got as a Christmas gift from my wife. "Wilki" (Wolves) by Adam Wajrak is a fascinating journey into the Białowieża Forest, where the author has spent a big part of his life, working as a correspondent for one of the biggest Polish newspapers. He got a chance to observe nature closely, and to learn about wild animals and their habits. Wolves have always fascinated me so it was really great to get more insights into their lives and learn more about how a pack functions. The author debunks many myths about these magnificent animal. He is really passionate about his job and this shows as the book reads very well. There are also some really spectacular pictures in it. I enjoyed reading it thoroughly and will probably try to read some of the other works by Wajrak.

Wednesday, 23 December 2015

It's way past midnight here and since I'm not going to work tomorrow I continue assembling my recent Wyrd purchases. Yesterday I put together the limited Barbaros - he's definitely a big one and nicely fills his 40 mm base. I also assembled the new Iggy miniature and was pleasantly surprised by very high level of detail, although his face seems a bit flat.

Today I've put together Black Blood Shamans - check out the wingspan, it just begs the question: why these guys don't have flight? You can also see new Tuco. I like the dynamic pose but the model somehow seems a bit too thin. Maybe that feeling will change once I start working on the mini. I also cleaned the mold lines on Aionus and that wasn't fun. The miniature is cast in PVC (the same pseudo-resin material Warmachine minis are cast in as far as I know) and comes already assembled (yes, there are noticeable gaps between the pieces). The material is much softer than the standard plastic Wyrd uses and cleaning it was a bit troublesome . The model is very nice nonetheless and I think I've come up with a good idea for his base.

Tuesday, 22 December 2015

I had a chance to work on the old metal version of this model. It was a great miniature, though a bit cumbersome to paint. Assembling it was also quite challenging. M2E version of this model is completely different. The mount has a more dynamic pose and the rider has also been completely redisigned. While there are some good changes (better proportions, especially his head), there are also some I wasn't happy about (the sword looks too plain in comparison to the massive blade it wielded in previous version, some of the details on the mount are a bit too smooth). I also think the old version looked a bit more menacing with better details, tattered cloak and skull-like snake heads. I didn't like it that much when I started working on it but as I progressed with painting, the model grew on me.

Like the other three Malifaux Riders of Apocalypse, the Hooded one offers great mobility and some nice tricks with scheme markers. Also, similarly to others, his power grows with each successive turn, meaning that late game he is not only very difficult to take down but he also deals heavy damage. It means that keeping him safely hidden in turns 1-2 will be a reasonable tactic.

Thursday, 10 December 2015

Tuesday, 8 December 2015

I'm a big fan of Wyrd plastic models but every now and then I work on old metal versions. Many of them suffered from scale issues or were a true nightmare to assemble, but there are some that stand out in terms of quality of the cast. Taelor is a good example and she is one of the few models which I like more in their old version.

When you look at the model it's actually hard to believe she's made of just one piece. No glue was needed to prepare her for painting, I only had to remove the mold lines (which is a bit more difficult then with plastic models). Her proportions are realistic and the pose is very good too. The details look great as well, her face looks amazing, with clearly defined cheekbones and sharp details on her mouth.

Painting her was a lot of fun and I enjoyed picking out all the small bits with a brush. I initially wanted to give her a more vivid, pink hair but in the end decided to keep it red, using toned down shades. I also painted the Good Lady (her Relic Hammer) using gold. I realize that in reality it's a soft metal and it wouldn't really work well with weapons (hello warriors of Khorne!), but I wanted it to stand out in contrast to her pneumatic arm, And besides, it's Malifaux, so things don't have to be what they look like at first glance.

The only problematic thing I didn't really like so much was her hair. The strands of hair are cast in thick lines, so it requires some really careful brushwork while painting. Also, her stomach, while cast really well, lacks detail and I had to put extra effort to paint muscles on it. Not a big deal, but it was another thing that required additional work.

Taelor is a go-to mercenary when you're facing summoners. She has an excellent ability ("Welcome to Malifaux"), which allows her to take charges out of her turn and target any newly summoned models within 9' of her. She is also relentless, so horror duels don't matter to her at all. With an impressive Ml7, her Relic Hammer dishes out scary amounts of damage, and has an amazing 3' range. It also receives two positive twists against constructs and Tyrants. Her other attack, Hammer Fall, is a (2) action that doesn't do that much damage, but it affects all enemy models in 3' range, and pushed them back after a failed TN14 Df duel.

When it comes to resilience, her base stats aren't impressive at all. However, she has both Hard to Wound 1, and Hard to Kill. Add to that the fact that she is a henchman and can use soulstones and all of a sudden taking her down looks much more difficult and requires concentrated effort.

So does she have any weaknesses? As pretty much any Malifaux character, there are some. Most of all, she is fairly slow and has no real defense against against ranged attacks. Put a few firearms together, and Taelor can be in serious trouble.

And last but not least - in the latest book ("Shifting Loyalties"), there is a very nice store with Lady Hammerstrike herself as the protagonist. Probably the best one in the book, check it out if you have access to it. And yes, the title is "Welcome to Malifaux".

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

The Depleted will make a nice addition to my Neverborn collection. They cost only 4 ss but are one of the most resilient minions in the game. With 8 Wds, Hard to Wound +1 and Hard to Kill, their unimpressive Df of 3 becomes less significant. The Depleted are also slow (but can push towards another model with Brilliance using their (0) action). They cannot take interact actions and their Ml is low too, but their main use is just standing in one place, occupy it and force the opponent to waste a lot of time and effort to take them down.

Friday, 13 November 2015

Nothing really fancy this time, just a Water Tower I got a while ago on ebay. It is actually the first terrain piece I painted using airbrush. It took about 10 minutes and I'm pleased with the effect. I'm also sure it would have taken much longer than that and required more work if I had painted it using brush...

Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Nekima comes at the cost of 13 ss, which makes her the most expensive model in Malifaux. She is Lilith's sister, but there is no love between them. Sister of the Mother of Monsters feels that she should be the true leader of Neverborn and of Malifaux.

She comes on a 50mm base and is pretty mobile with Flight and Wk6. Her Df is only 5 but she has a high Wp of 7 and 12 Wds with a chance to heal back after killing an opponent and Regeneration +1. Also, Black Blood can discourage enemy models from targeting her in melee.

Nekima is a true beast in melee. High initial Ml value of 7 (and a ram) coupled with impressive damage track (4 as weak!) make her an opponent to be reckoned with. Melee Expertmeans that she can get one extra attack for free as long as the opponent is within her (impressive) range of 3'. On a mask, there is a trigger that forces opponents to take a 14 Wp duel of be pushed 5' in any direction. On a ram she gets bonuses if she kills her leader. It is a rare situation but can be used when the leader is about to die anyway. As a result, Nekima gains Melee Master and heals 4 Wd. She can also damage enemies with Black Blood and do that twice as a (0) action as long as she has a 4 of Masks. Nekima synergizes well with growth lists as she can (with an upgrade) help the Nephilim grow or mature. She also has a potential chance to summon Terror Tots.

The plastic version of Nekima is completely different than the old metal one. First of all, she is significantly smaller now (even though she still comes on a 50mm base). She also comes with the stone she is standing on packed in the box. It's a good thing as it means that there are no problems with gluing her to the base. It was a big issue with the metal version, which was glued only at one point close to one ankle. It meant that the link was bound to break sooner rather than later. Other than the size issue, the proportions are better, though she doesn't have the appearance of a Ht 3 model. Here's a good picture comparing the two found on GMorts blog.

I painted three versions of this model, and while all were done simultaneously, I used different bases (unfortunately I don't have a picture with the one I painted using the stone from her boxed set). Also, one of them was temporarily mounted on "Apollo 13" I made for round 5 of the Iron Painter competition (I did it just for fun despite being eliminated earlier). I called that entry "Houston, We've Had a Problem".

It is a nice miniature, although it lacks the twist that many other Malifaux models have. She looks pretty good, but in the end she's just another female-daemon-warrior,which just seems like a generic thing.

Nekima was actually painted in... summer. So with this entry I've now caught up with my blog backlog. Anything I publish from now on will be a new work. I currently have several minis on my workspace so some updates should follow later this month.

Friday, 30 October 2015

Doppelganger is a mystical creature known in folklore. According to various legends, it can change its shape and mimic other creatures. Wyrd likes to use commonly known themes in Malifaux and they've adapted this idea into their game. What's more, it also goes really well with the theme of nasty Neverborn creatures taking shapes that humans know only from tales.

There are now two versions of Doppelganger available and I had a chance to paint both. I really like the design of the new plastic one. Its proportions are better and the pose is interesting. However, the details are a bit too smooth for my liking (it often happens with plastic Wyrd minis), especially compared to crisp detail on the old metal version. The pose is also a little better in my opinion, as you can't really tell that it's not a human when you look at it from the front. However, this version has one significant problem - large "hobbit" feet (which is also a common complaint when it comes to old metal Wyrd models).

Friday, 23 October 2015

I really like the old classic Abuela miniature. I even managed to win a painting competition when I entered her in a single miniature category. It's a one-piece model with plenty of details and an exceptionally well cast face. Nevertheless, I've been looking forward to the release of new version. A tiny, grumpy, elderly lady in a wheelchair powered by a steam engine - nothing beats that. I wasn't disappointed as the mini is really nice though it's not the easiest one to assemble. When it comes to the challenge of putting her together, her pipe can be compared to Yan Lo's infamous beard. While the plastic miniature lacks the details of the older version, there's enough going for her to keep the miniature in the "awesome" category.

Abuela brings more options to the table, especially if you play Ortegas. She can "wed" any model into the Ortega clan and give it the Family characteristic, making it possible to take advantage of various movement shenanigans. She is an elderly lady so she can be pushed by friendly models (they get an additional (0) action to do so while she's in play). Abuela also has an Obey action. There's a nice damage potential as she can trigger additional attacks (with a Sh of 7 that's a serious threat).

And last but not least, new Wyrd Chronicles have been released this week (#20). As always, there's plenty of great stuff inside (including previews of Black Friday special exclusives). You will also find my article about working with plastic models inside (By Yan Lo's Beard). It is the second text that I wrote and that got published there (the first one was an article about painting the Depleted in issue 8).

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Conditions play a big part in Malifaux. They offer many tactical possibilities. Having a key opponent beatstick slowed or paralyzed can be almost as effective as killing him/her (and in some cases it's easier to pull off). Some masters thrive on using conditions to their advantage (Sonnia, Kaeris, Brewmaster, Shenlong off the top of my head). There's even a separate article in Wyrd Chronicles about them (check it out here, a great read).

Keeping track of all the effects in play can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you have to remember about all of them (both the positive and the negative). That's why it's very useful to use tokens which can help you with controlling the situation on board. There are some stores that produce them but Art of War Studios is one of the few which has a dedicated range of tokens designed specially for Malifaux. The basic set costs £16.99 and contains the following:

That's a pretty impressive list that covers the most frequent effects in game. The tokens come mainly in grey. However, you can have them customized so that they match the color of your faction. As far as the other faction or master specific effects are concerned, you can either order the tokens you need (such as Web, Void, Hat, etc.), or have them custom made if you need something special that is not available in the store (for example El Mayor).

The tokens are made of transparent acrylic. They are quite thick and have a solid feel to them. The symbols on them are laser cut. They are very well designed and are easily recognizable at first glance. Obviously, they look much better when you put them on mat/terrain. The quality is excellent, the circular shape is perfect and the tokens look neat when placed next to the bases of miniatures during the game. You can either stack the tokens one on another or place them around the base of targeted model. Either way, they will be easy to notice.

So how do the tokens exactly work in an actual game of Malifaux? Have a look at the picture above, which was taken during an early stage of a Zoraida vs. Perdita game. As you can easily see, there are a few conditions that affect the game. Let's have a closer look at what's actually going on there:

1. Voodoo Doll shared its Poison 4 with a Death Marshal.

2. Enslaved Nephilim has Burning stacked to +2.

3. Silurid has placed an unknown scheme marker (I forgot to use a faction-themed purple one here), which can used be for Plant Evidence, Plant Explosives, etc.

4. Lone Marshal used his (2) Trick Shooting Action, pushes and shoots with a positive twist. You can also see a Guild Scheme marker put along the center line for A Line in the Sand that he'd placed there earlier.

5. A Swampfiend has just died (Corpse Marker), which means that Bad Juju gets to be unburied.

And that's not everything. On the other section of the board, there's Perdita with a + to damage she got from Papa Loco. I can't even remember how many times I've forgotten about this amazing buff and regretted it later... Opposite her you can see a Waldgeist, who clearly means to stay where he is and has placed two 50 mm Germinated Forest markers in front of him.

Moving on, the Silurids are at what they do best - leaping and placing makers. Their mobility allows them to get to the furthest corners of the board easily and drop Scheme Markers where they need them (although Papa Loco looks ready to move in and remove one of those).

As you can see in the picture, both players are able to quickly assess the situation and plan their actions accordingly. Keeping all this information in your head can be tricky. Especially when you add other factors affecting the game that you need to account for (Strategy, all the available Schemes - both revealed and unrevealed, number of wounds, Victory Points, activation control, which turn it actually is, characteristics of you and your opponent's models in game, and many others...
Malifaux is undoubteadly a deep complex game and, like many other players, I find the experience highly rewarding. Having a set of really well designed tokens that are produced in very high quality can not only make it a bit easier, it can actually enrich the experience for both players. That's why I can wholeheartedly recommend tokens from Art of War Studios. Visit their websitehere.

Thursday, 1 October 2015

The Guild part of the Starter box is now painted. I really enjoyed working on these four miniatures. The sculpts are rather simple as their poses are static, but they make up for it with a "creepy" factor. As you can see at first glance, white was the main color here so I tried to keep a darker tone of it to get the gritty look on them. I used bases from MAS and CMON Kickstarter campaign (the same I used for the Neverborn). I only used different colors here to tie them with the Weird West theme of most of my Guild. I also thought they looked too peaceful with clean robes so I added blood spatters there. After all, they all work with the crazy Dr Grimwell whose tool (weapon) of choice makes a lot of mess... This choice was also inspired by the artwork on the box.

The Orderlies are solid scheme runners with excellent Wk and Cg and Unimpeded. They are not very resilient. Their Df is an unimpressive 5 and they have only 6 Wd but they heal 1 wound at the end of a turn for free. They also offer a chance for some card cycling as they get to draw and discard 1 after killing an enemy. They can deal damage only in Ml, which has a value of 5 with a decent damage track. There's also a (2) tactical action, which allows them to heal up to 2 Wd on a model within 6' (no cards needed). They come at 5ss, which seems like a pretty good deal for what they offer.

Nurse Heartsbane is an enforcer. She has similar stats to Orderlies with a slightly better Df6 and lower Wk and Cg. She also heals 1 wound for free at the end of her turn and has the same card cycling trick. If she succeeds on a Df duel and has a high Mask, the attacker must discard two cards or its activation ends. She is also melee-oriented and has a slightly better Ml base value of 6 with a better damage track and two triggers. She can either push the target away up to 6' (and force it to discard a card), or prevent it from taking Attack actions. There is also one Ca action, which needs at least a 3 of Tomes to succeed. If it does, the target may not take Walk/Charge actions. She also has a nice (0) action, which allows her to push up to 4' and perform a (1) Attack Action is she flips or cheats in a mask.

Dr Stanley Grimwell is a Henchman.His statline is pretty decent with a Df of 6, standard Wk of 5, Cg 7, and 9 Wd. He is also Unimpeded and Nimble, and gains + to Disengaging Strikes. Dr Grimwell is all about the damage output. With a solid Ml of 6 and Rg 2', he can dish out decent damage with two possible triggers (Critical Strike or forcing opponent to discard a card after damaging). However, his scariest Attach Action is called Lobotomy. It takes 2 action points but the base value is a very high 7 with a crazy damage profile of 4/6/10. He can also use a (1) Tactical Action and give orders. If he discards a card, the target moves up to 4'. There is also a dedicated 1ss upgrade, which allows him to add a soulstone to crew's pool after killing an enemy.